


December 26, 1990

by violawrites



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gen, Modern Era, Modern Westeros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 08:29:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8394532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violawrites/pseuds/violawrites
Summary: In modern Westeros, Lyanna Stark has managed to hide her pregnancy from the people around her for the past nine months but when she finally goes into labor she comes to the realization that she cannot handle everything on her own. She makes a decision that will change not only her life, but her son's as well.





	

December 26, 1990.

Lyanna stumbled blearily to the bathroom feeling especially uncomfortable. The clock on the counter burned her eyes and wouldn’t stop glaring until she knew it was 3:19 AM. Being nine months pregnant came with all sorts of surprises in the middle of the night. Falling to her knees in front of the toilet, the contents of her dinner the night before made a re-appearance. Most of her morning sickness had passed after the first few months, but clearly not all of it. She began to shiver, realizing how cold her flat had gotten. Lyanna’s body was slumped again against the wall and a few moments later the real reason for her trembling became apparent; as she looked down she saw her clothes were soaked through and the floor was now wet. Her water had broken. 

After a solid minute trying to get to her feet again, she staggered back to her bedroom, putting on whatever dry clothes she found first in the half-darkness. At the hospital later she would laugh to herself at the irony when she realized it was one of Rhaegar’s old football shirts. Just as she sat on her bed to put her socks on (something she’d almost given up on doing herself the last few months) the first contraction hit. Every muscle in her body tensed and she could feel herself unconsciously holding her breath against the pain. It was bearable, but Lyanna knew she needed to get to the hospital soon before they got closer together. She hadn’t exactly planned for this moment. The sheer terror of not only giving birth but also raising a child had rendered her nearly paralyzed to the point that she hadn’t even decided what to do once the baby came. 

It was winter vacation during Lyanna’s junior year of university but she’d opted to stay in her tiny flat on campus for break instead of going back to Winterfell to visit her parents and Benjen who still lived there. This meant that since her roommate had also left she would be driving herself to the hospital. She grabbed the keys on the counter on her way out the door, some dormant part of her brain telling her this was not a good idea. She turned the headlights on just before the next contraction hit, trying to figure out how long it had been since the last one. Ten minutes? Fifteen? Once it had passed she backed out of the driveway on to the street, going a bit faster than she would have under other circumstances. 

She arrived in the lobby of the hospital, walking up to the front counter where her hand gripped the ledge against yet another contraction. The woman behind the counter had a confused expression on her face until she got a better look at the girl and the situation became clear. She hurried around to the front, sliding an arm under Lyanna’s shoulder to help hold her up.

“Honey, did you drive yourself? You shouldn’t have done that.” She asked, a slightly judgmental tone in her voice. Lyanna Stark was never in the mood to be scolded, but especially now when she was about to push another human being out. The look the nurse got back from her made her views on the matter clear and without saying another word she ushered her through the swinging doors and into a hospital room. 

“I’m going to go call a maternity nurse for you. Stay right there, okay?” The woman assured Lyanna and she had to bite her tongue to keep from asking where she expected her to go when she could barely stand up. It was just a minute later when the door opened again and she heard footsteps before the curtain was pulled back. 

Luckily it was a different nurse and Lyanna didn’t have an immediate urge to throw something at her. In the midst of her pain it wasn’t unlikely that she would injure someone.

“Do you have anyone I could call for you?” The nurse asked kindly. Her brain went through the list of people she trusted enough to have with her at the moment. She was far too proud to tell Rhaegar what was going on now, the pain of that name nearly breaking her. The next name that ran through her head was her brother’s. Ned lived in Kings Landing too now with Catelyn who’d also recently had a child. Lyanna knew he would be there whenever she needed him but there was one serious problem with calling him. 

“Ned, my brother.” She answered, quickly writing down his number with shaky hands as the nurse handed her a pad and pen. The woman nodded reassuringly.

“We’ll get in touch with him, don’t worry Miss. Now why don’t we get you into a gown?” Lyanna nodded, not trusting her voice not to break. She knew they’d have no problem contacting Ned; it was when he got to the hospital that terrified Lyanna. For the last nine months she’d managed to hide her pregnancy from him. It hadn’t been all that difficult between the two of them living separately and the baggy clothing she’d strategically chosen.

Before she knew it, she was greeted by a doctor and instructed to lie back on the table, only half protesting when they offered her an epidural. Her labor was bloody, one of the bloodiest the nurses said they’d ever seen. Lyanna heard one of them mention a C-Section, wondering if she would be able to stay conscious for the entire process. It was hours of pushing and sweat later when they /finally/ told her she’d done it. She could hear a faint crying, and the nurse scooped up the baby to clean and weigh him, making sure he was healthy. 

“It’s a boy.” The woman announced as she handed the child to Lyanna; a tiny pink thing with a few tufts of dark hair already on his head. ‘Jon’ she thought, your name is Jon. 

Lyanna closed her eyes, nearly drifting to sleep between exhaustion and the pain medications they’d given her. She was in this in-between state when the door opened again and she heard a familiar voice. 

“Lyanna?” It was her brother. He’d made in here in half the time she guessed it should have taken him. Her eyes fluttered open. She’d managed to avoid crying for the last twelve hours, but seeing the shock on her brother’s face she couldn’t hold back anymore. The tears fell and she watched Ned come closer through her blurred vision. 

“I’m so sorry, I should’ve told you. I should’ve made sure Rhaegar was here. I should’ve been ready.” She sobbed, not sure if the tears were from joy at seeing finally seeing her son or from guilt at not telling Ned he was going to be an Uncle. 

“Shhh Lya.” He said softly. “It’s okay, you’re both okay.” 

“You have to take him. I can’t… I’ll ruin everything for him.” She wasn’t sure if Ned could even understand what she was saying when her voice was so unsteady.

“I’ll take good care of him, Lya. Don’t worry, just get some rest.” She nodded at him in her drug-addled state, only half comprehending what he was saying. Lyanna tried so hard to fight off sleep, gripping his arm and giving him one last instruction before finally succumbing while Jon laid on her chest.

“Promise me, Ned.”


End file.
